I've heard it said by some, they believe Hell is just
figuratively spoken of. They believe that there is no real place of eternal
damnation. God is an all loving God, he wouldn't do that to anyone. Well
I've got news for you, the Bible speaks very clearly of Hell and the Lake of
Fire. The word Hell is mentioned 54 times in the Word of God. It has one meaning
in the Hebrew text:
1.she'owl, sheh-ole’; hades or the world of the dead (as if a
subterranean retreat), incl. its accessories and inmates:— grave, hell, pit.
2.haideµs, hah´-dace; (as neg. particle) ; prop. unseen, i.e. "Hades" or
the place (state) of departed souls:— grave, hell.
3.geáeánna, gheh´-en-nah; of Heb. or. ; valley of (the son of) Hinnom; ge-henna
(or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (fig.) as a name for the place
(or state) of everlasting punishment:— hell.
4.tartaroáoµ, tar-tar-oá´-o; from Tavrtaro" Tartaroás, (the deepest abyss
of Hades); to incarcerate in eternal torment:— cast down to hell.
In a nutshell : the world of the dead and it's accessories and inmates,
place of departed souls or lost souls, place of everlasting punishment, to
incarcerate in eternal torment.
As you can see Hell is an actual place/state of torment, and those that
don't believe in Hell, in time will know the truth, but too late to do
anything about it.
Luke 16:19There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and
fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:20And there was a certain
beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,21And
desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table:
moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.22And it came to pass, that the
beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich
man also died, and was buried;23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in
torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.24And he
cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he
may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am
tormented in this flame. 25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy
lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but
now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.26And beside all this, between
us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from
hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from
thence.27Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest
send him to my father’s house:28For I have five brethren; that he may
testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.29Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.30And
he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they
will repent.31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the
prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
We see this rich man lived large in the world, never considering the
things of God. In the end he wound up in literal torment. This man became a
firm believer in Hell, and desired for his brothers to be told of this place
of torment, hoping they would not end up there also, but if they didn't
already believe what the scriptures told them, nothing would keep them from
this place.
The real shocker is that he could see into heaven. Seeing Lazarus in
comfort but he himself in torment. This would certainly add to the torment
wouldn't it? Seeing those that you had contact with on earth in comfort
across the great gulf that is fixed between the two places.
Many will wind up like this man. Believing there is no such place only to
find it is for real, and after it's too late to avoid.
We today have even more scripture concerning Hell than this rich man. We
have the New Testament which he didn't have. So there's no reason anyone
today should be able to deny that Hell exists.
This is from the mouth of Jesus Himself. Matthew 10:28And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to
kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and
body in hell. We see Hell is the place for those
who lack fear of God.
Psalm 9:17The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that
forget God.
Psalm 55:15Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into
hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
Proverbs 15:24The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart
from hell beneath.
Hell is mentioned over and over again. It's shown as
the opposite of Heaven. Job 11:7Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the
Almighty unto perfection?8It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do?
deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
The Bible shows us that the road to Hell is a wide
road leading to destruction. Matthew 7:13Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and
broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in
thereat:14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth
unto life, and few there be that find it. This
statement by Jesus shows us that many will follow the wide road. How do you wind up on the wide road? Do nothing, continue in the
ways of the world. Many will go, whether they believe in Hell or not.
Luke 13:24Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you,
will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.25When once the master of the
house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without,
and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall
answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:26Then shall ye begin
to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our
streets. 27But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are;
depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.28There shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all
the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.29And
they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and
from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.30And, behold,
there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be
last. Imagine that for a moment, we will be among those Saints of the Old
and New Testaments at judgment, then to fail judgment and be cast out ....
Wow, wouldn't that be a crushing blow?
It's a lot to do with how we are
raised and how we raise our own children. Proverbs 23:13Withhold not
correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall
not die.14Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from
hell. It's a course in obedience. We must learn to be obedient, whether to
parents or God Almighty.
Hell is always equal to destruction. Proverbs 15:11Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then
the hearts of the children of men? Job 26:6Hell is naked before him, and
destruction hath no covering. Proverbs 27:20Hell and destruction are never
full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
Matthew 5:29And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it
from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should
perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.30And if thy
right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is
profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy
whole body should be cast into hell.
Mark 9:43And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to
enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire
that never shall be quenched:44Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is
not quenched.45And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for
thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell,
into the fire that never shall be quenched:46Where their worm dieth not,
and the fire is not quenched.47And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out:
it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than
having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:48Where their worm dieth not, and
the fire is not quenched.Jesus here is showing us the importance of
avoiding Hell. Would He say such things if it was only a figurative place?
No. He has given us a stern warning.
Matthew 23:33Ye
serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Only through salvation in the Lord Jesus,
that's how.
Psalm 86:13For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul
from the lowest hell. Revelation 1:17And when I saw him, I fell at his feet
as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me,Fear not; I am
the first and the last: 18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I
am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.Jesus
holds all the keys. The keys to life and the keys to death and Hell. Jesus
spoke in parables that the people would be able to understand what he wanted
them to know.
Matthew 13:37He answered and said unto them,He that soweth the good seed
is the Son of man;38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children
of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39The enemy that sowed
them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are
the angels. 40As
therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in
the end of this world. 41The
Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his
kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42And shall cast them
into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43Then shall the
righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath
ears to hear, let him hear.Notice the wailing and gnashing of teeth.
This is a picture of what Hell holds for those within.
Matthew 13:47Again,
the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and
gathered of every kind: 48Which,
when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good
into vessels, but cast the bad away. 49So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels
shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50And shall cast
them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
51Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto
him, Yea, Lord.Wailing and gnashing of teeth shows the pain and agony of
this place. Wailing shows mourning and crying aloud. Gnashing of teeth is a
grinding of the teeth in pain. What a terrible picture that paints in the
mind. It shows us this place is a definite torment.
Matthew 22:13Then
said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away,
and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth. 14For many
are called, but few are chosen. This shows us
again that narrow is the way. Few shall find it. The others, into outer
darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth.This is how it'll be if you die
without Jesus, or if your walk with Him has grown cold. For many are
called He says. So what happens to all of them?
Matthew 24:48But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to
eat and drink with the drunken; 50The lord of that servant shall come in a
day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51And shall cut
him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.This servant knew
the Lord, but became slack in his walk. He was counted a hypocrite and wound
up weeping and gnashing his teeth.
Matthew 25:30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness:
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.We should be striving to be
profitable servants. This is where the "Fear Him" comes into play.
Luke 12:5But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after
he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Matthew 16:18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this
rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it. If you're a part of His Church you'll never have to worry about
Hell.
Is Hell the end for the wicked?
No. Actually Hell is the holding place
until judgment day. The end is the lake of fire.
2Peter 2:4For if God
spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered
them into chains of darkness, to be
reserved unto judgment;
Revelation 20:13And
the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which
were in them: and they were judged every man
according to their works. 14And
death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.This is the second death.15And whosoever
was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
There's the end for the heathen. It will be the
end of death and Hell also. There will be no more death and no need for Hell.
Everyone at this point has done time in Hell and are being cast into the
lake of fire.
Revelation 19:20And
the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles
before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the
beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a
lake of fire burning with brimstone. That's the
end of the Antichrist and the false prophet, but Satan is still loose.
Revelation 20:1And I
saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and
a great chain in his hand. 2And
he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan,
and bound him a thousand years,
3And cast him
into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he
should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be
fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
We see that Satan is only bound up in the pit till
the thousand year reign of Christ has ended.
Then he's out again. It's not till that the heathen are judged.
Revelation 20:4And
I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and
I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for
the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image,
neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and
they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5But the rest of the
dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the
first resurrection. 6Blessed
and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death
hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall
reign with him a thousand years. 7And
when the thousand years are
expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his
prison, 8And shall go out to deceive the nations which
are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them
together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9And they went up on the
breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the
beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10And the devil
that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the
beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for
ever and ever.There's the end of Satan.
Matthew 25:41Then
shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed,
into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: The lake of fire was prepared for Satan and Co. It
wasn't meant for men. But if men choose to follow him, then follow him they
will!
The Apocalypse of Peter, not contained in our Bibles, gives an in depth
description of Hell and the punishments therein.
Here is the description of torments listed, as described byJesustoPeter.
-Then shall men and
women come unto the place prepared for them. By their tongues wherewith they
have blasphemed the way of righteousness shall they be hanged up.
There is spread under them unquenchable fire, that they escape it not.
Behold, another place: therein is a pit, great and full.
In it are they that have denied righteousness: and angels of punishment
chastise them and there do they kindle upon them the fire of their torment.
And again behold corrupt women: they hang them up by their neck and by their
hair; they shall cast them into the pit.
These are they which plaited their hair, not for good(or, not to make them beautiful)but to turn them to fornication, that they might
ensnare the souls of men unto perdition.
And the men that lay with them in fornication shall be hung by their loins
in that place of fire; and they shall say one to another: We knew not that
we should come unto everlasting punishment.
And the murderers and them that have made common cause with them shall
they cast into the fire, in a place full of venomous beasts, and they shall
be tormented without rest, feeling their pains; and their worms shall be as
many in number as a dark cloud.
And the angel Ezrael shall bring forth the souls of them that have been
slain, and they shall behold the torment of them that slew them, and say one
to another: Righteousness and justice is the judgment of God. For we heard,
but we believed not, that we should come into this place of eternal
judgment.
And near by this flame shall be a pit, great and very deep, and into it floweth from above all manner of torment, foulness, and issue.
And women are swallowed up therein up to their necks and tormented with
great pain. These are they that have caused their children to be born
untimely(abortions),
and have corrupted the work of God that created them.
Over against them shall be another place where sit their children alive,
and they cry unto God. And flashes
(lightning's)go forth from those children and
pierce the eyes of them that for fornication's sake have caused their
destruction.
Other men and women shall stand above them, naked; and their children
stand over against them in a place of delight, and sigh and cry unto God
because of their parents, saying: These are they that have despised and
cursed and transgressed thy commandments and delivered us unto death: they
have cursed the angel that formed us, and have hanged us up, and withheld
from us(or, denied us)
the light which thou hast given unto all creatures.
And the milk of their mothers flowing from their breasts shall congeal,
and from it shall come beasts devouring flesh, which shall come forth and
turn and torment them for ever with their husbands, because they forsook the
commandments of God and slew their children.
As for their children, they shall be delivered unto the angel Temlakos(a care-taking angel).And they that slew them shall be tormented eternally,
for God willeth it so.
Ezrael
the angel of wrath shall bring men and women,
the half of their bodies burning, and cast them into a place of darkness,
even the hell of men; and a spirit of wrath shall chastise them with all
manner of torment, and a worm that sleepeth not shall devour their entrails: and these are the
persecutors and betrayers of my righteous ones.
And beside them that are there, shall be other men and women, gnawing
their tongues; and they shall torment them with red-hot iron and burn their
eyes. These are they that slander and doubt of my righteousness.
Other men and women whose works were done in deceitfulness shall have
their lips cut off, and fire entereth into their mouth and their entrails.
These are the false witnesses(these are
they that caused the martyrs to die by their lying). And beside them, in a place near at hand, upon the
stone shall be a pillar of fire, and the pillar is sharper than swords. And
there shall be men and women clad in rags and filthy garments, and they
shall be cast thereon, to suffer the judgment of a torment that ceaseth not:
these are they that trusted in their riches and despised the widows and the
woman with fatherless children . . . before God.
And into another place hard by, full of filth, do they cast men and women
up to the knees. These are they that lent money and took usury upon usury(interest) . And other men and women cast themselves down
from an high place and return again and run, and devils/demons
drive them. (drive them up to the top of
the height.)and they put them to the end of
their witst and they cast themselves down. And thus do they continually,
and are tormented for ever.
These are they which have cut their flesh as [apostles] of a man: and the
women that were with them . . . and these are the men that defiled
themselves together as with women.
And beside them and beneath them shall the angel Ezrael prepare a place of
much fire: and all the idols of gold and silver, all idols, the work of
men's hands, and the semblances of images of cats and lions, of creeping
things and wild beasts, and the men and women that have prepared the images
thereof, shall be in chains of fire and shall be chastised because of their
error before the idols, and this is their judgment for ever.
And beside them shall be other men and women, burning in the fire of the
judgment, and their torment is everlasting. These are they that have
forsaken the commandment of God and followed the(persuasions)of
devils/demons. (Parts of these two sections are in the
Bodleian Fragment. At this point the Akhmim fragment ends. The Ethiopic
continues.)
And there shall be another place, very high(corrupt sentences follow. Duensing omits them:
Grebaut renders doubtfully: There shall be a furnace and a brazier wherein
shall burn fire. The fire that shall burn shall come from one end of the
brazier).The men and women whose feet slip,
shall go rolling down into a place where is fear. And again while the fire
that is prepared floweth, they mount up and fall down again and continue to
roll down.(This suggests a narrow
bridge over a stream of fire which they keep trying to cross.)Thus shall they be tormented for ever. These are they
that honoured not their father and mother and of their own accord withheld
(withdrew)
themselves from them. Therefore shall they be chastised eternally.
Furthermore the angel Ezrael
shall bring children and maidens to show them
those that are tormented. They shall be chastised with pains, with hanging
up and with a multitude of wounds which flesh-devouring birds shall inflict
upon them. These are they that boast themselves (proud) in their
sins, and obey not their parents and follow not the instruction of their
fathers, and honour not them that are more aged than they.
Beside them shall be girls clad in darkness for a garment and they shall
be sore chastised and their flesh shall be torn in pieces. These are they
that kept not their virginity until they were given in marriage, and with
these torments shall they be punished, and shall feel them.
And again, other men and women, gnawing their tongues without ceasing, and
being tormented with everlasting fire. These are the servants which were not
obedient unto their masters; and this then is their judgment for ever.
And hard by this place of torment shall be men and women dumb and blind,
whose raiment is white. They shall crowd one upon another, and fall upon
coals of unquenchable fire. These are they that give alms and say: We are
righteous before God: whereas they have not sought after righteousness.
Ezrael the angel of God shall bring them forth out of this fire and
establish a judgment of decision. This then is their judgment. A river of
fire shall flow and all judgment(they
that are guilty)shall be drawn down into the
middle of the river. And Uriel shall set them there.
And there are wheels of fire and men and women hung thereon by the
strength of the whirling thereof. And they that are in the pit shall burn:
now these are the sorcerers and sorceresses. Those wheels shall be in
decision(judgment, punishment)by fire without number.
Thereafter shall the angels bring mine elect and righteous which are
perfect in all uprightness, and bear them in their hands, and clothe them
with the raiment of the life that is above. They shall see their desire on
them that hated them, when he punisheth them, and the torment of every one
shall be for ever according to his works
And all they that are in torment
shall say with one voice: have mercy upon us, for now we know the judgment
of God, which he declared unto us aforetime, and we believed not. And the
angel Tatirokos(keeper of hell)shall come and chastise them with yet greater torment,
and say unto them:
Now do ye repent, when it is no longer the time for
repentance, and nought of life remaineth. And they shall say: Righteous is
the judgment of God, for we have heard and perceived that his judgment is
good; for we are recompensed according to our deeds.
I think by all of this you can certainly
see that if you're outside of God's will you may be in danger of these
torments and you will be meeting Ezrael and Tatirokos in person.
If you didn't believe in Hell, I hope you see now that there is such
a place.
God has given us all this in His Word that it should not overtake us
unaware. No one should have to go to Hell. If they go, it is by their own
doings. For God clearly lays out the means in which to avoid it.
It's God's
will that none should perish, but that everyone should enter into everlasting
life.
If this brings about any fear, count it as conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Your spirit is willing but your flesh is
weak. Seek Jesus, He is the only escape from the lake fire that burns forever.
